The present invention relates generally to fairing access doors, and more particularly to reinforced access doors.
Typically, spacecraft fairings include a plurality of access doors. These access doors provide access into the spacecraft so that the spacecraft can be serviced after being encapsulated by the fairing. The location of some access doors can be common to a plurality of fairings. However, the majority of access doors are specific to individual designs. Door sizes can also vary. Common round doors can have diameters of 24 to 36 inches. However, smaller and larger doors are sometimes utilized.
If the locations of the doors are known before the composite fairing is laid-up, then reinforcing about the access door can be included during the fabrication process of the fairing. However, in attempts to improve assembly line processing, it is typically preferred to make the fairings identical, and then add additional access doors after fabrication in order to meet specific design specifications.
Additional structural reinforcement is typically added to the fairing around access doors added after fabrication to maintain the fairing structural integrity. Further, the reinforcements are typically added to both the interior of the fairing as well as the exterior. Previous reinforcement methods and structures have resulted in numerous problems in constructing the reinforcements, securing the reinforcements onto the fairing, interfering with further assembly of the spacecraft and other problems.